berger



Jun 24,- 1930. H. BERGER 1,768,306

MASSAGE INSTRUMENT. Filed Aug. 17, 1928 Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES rarsnrorrica HANS BERGER, OF WIESBADEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE IEIRIVI ROSSEL, SCHWARZ & (30., A. G-., OF WIE$BADEN, GERMANY MASSAGE INSTRUMENT Application filed August 17, 1928, Serial No. 300,287, and in- Germany, April 23, 1928.

Massage instruments have became known, in which by a strap or the like a vibration produced by a mechanically driven mechanism, is transmitted upon the human body.

For many purposes it is desirable to make act a friction massaging upon the human body besides a vibrating massage.

With this object in view the massage instrument is fitted, according to the invention, with an oscillatable two-armed'lever to which the ends of a massaging band, designed to be placed around the human body, are attached at any desired distance from the axis of oscillation.

If both ends of the band are attached to one and the same point of the oscillatory lever only vibrations are exerted upon the human body at the oscillating movement of the lever, the strength of said vibrations increasing with the distance of the attaching point of the band from the axis of oscillation.

If the ends of the band are attachedat two different points from the axis of oscillation of the lever only a to and fro movement of the band around the body i. e. only a friction massage can take place if the two attaching points are at equal distance from the axis of oscillation.

If the attaching points of the band are spaced from the axis of oscillation at different distances, not only a vibration massage but also a movement of the band around the body, i. e. a friction massage, will'be produced by the oscillating movement of the two-armed lever. The relation of the friction massage to the vibration massage may be selected at will.

The two-armed lever is fixed on a pin standing at an angle to the driving axle, and it is guided in such a manner that it can oscillate only in one plane at the rotation of the pin.

The massage is preferably effected with the aid of a band which is smooth on the one 1 side and undulated on the other side. By merely turning the band inside out the smooth or the undulated side can be brought into direct contact with the part of the body which has to be massaged.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated, by Way of example, in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows the massage apparatus, the band being placed around the body.

Fig. 2 is atop plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a portion of the massage band in side elevation.

I On the shaft 1 of the electromotor 2, mounted on a support 3, a pin 4 is mounted at an angle to the shaft, said pin engaging with a bore of a lever 5. This lever 5 is guided by forks 6 rigid with the motor casing in such a manner that it cannot follow the rotating movements of the shaft 1 but merely oscillate. On the two arms of the lever 5 two eyes 8, having each a hook 7, are shiftably mounted so that they can be secured in the. adjusted position. To the hooks 7 the corresponding ends of a massage band 9 are attached which is placed around the body 10 to be massaged.

If the band 9 is attached to the lever 5 in the manner shown in Fig. 2 a vibration massage and a friction massage will be exerted upon the body 10. g

If the two ends of the band9 are attached I both at one point of the lever 5, i. e. both to the same hook 7 of an eye 8, as indicated in Fig. 2 in dash lines, only vibration massage is exerted, as the band cannot execute a to so and fro movement around the body 10.

The ends of band 9 may also be attached to the oscillatory lever .5, at equal distances from the pivot axle, in which case the band 9 carries out only a to and fro movement around the body 10. The band 9 has, as can be seen from Fig. 3, one surface undulated, the undulations 11 of which increase the effect of the friction massage.

I claim 1. In a massage instrument, the combination with a rotating driving shaft having a bearing portion thereon inclined to the shaft axis, of a two-armed lever adapted to oscillate about a point located substantially centrally thereof, means for restricting the movement of said lever to one plane, means for connecting said lever to said inclined shaft bearing portion, a massage belt adapted to be placed around the body, and means for connecting each end of the belt to one end of the two-armed lever.

2. In a massage instrument, the combination with an oscillatory lever, of means for oscillating said lever, a band adapted to be placed around the body, and means for connecting the opposite ends of the band to the lever, said means comprising a pair. of eyes mounted on said lever and independently shiftable 'along'th'e same and a hook pro: jecting from each eye and adapted to receive one end of the band.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

H. BERGER. 

